Loan company helps families with back to school expenses

Carlene Lamey, operations manager at Commercial Credit Investments, hands a bag with gifts, courtesy of Gifts Galore, to Jordena Gillespie, who will attend St Hilda’s Diocesan High School in September.

Carlene Lamey (left), operations manager at Commercial Credit Investments, with scholarship recipient Aisha Lewis, who will attend Ferncourt High in September, and her mother, Michelle Riley.

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OCHO RIOS, St Ann:

Commercial Credit Investments (CCI), a loan company in Ocho Rios, has taken the unprecedented step of offering to help parents in St Ann and St Mary with back-to-school expenses, even as it means giving out fewer loans.

A health fair held recently at Turtle River Park catered to students of all ages, from basic school to college, and according to Operations Manager Carlene Lamey, it was to help offset some of the burdensome back-to-school costs facing parents.

In addition, the company handed out three scholarships valued at $10,000 each and one for $5,000, along with book vouchers, to students who were successful in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test and are headed to high schools in September.

CUTTING EXPENSES

"Because we're a known company, we see the demands that are coming into the office. A lot of the times parents are coming in seeking to borrow money to do this [medical], and even though we could lend, we thought it was a way to help cut down on some of the expenses that they have," Lamey explained.

One parent, Michelle Riley of St Ann's Bay, was particularly happy with the help, after her daughter, Aisha Lewis, who will attend Ferncourt in September, got one of the $10,000 scholarships and book vouchers.

In recent times, Riley has not only lost the father of her three children, but her house was also destroyed by fire. The situation has affected Aisha's performance somewhat but she is still doing well in school.

"I appreciate it very, very much, they (CCI) have done a lot for us, trust me because their father died, three of them, it's just me and my mother and my stepfather, so I'm very grateful," Riley said.

"Aisha is very bright but she fell back a bit because of the pressure she's been going through. Sometimes we don't have nothing to eat and we hardly have a roof over our head because our house did burn down, but I'm proud of her, very proud of her," she added.